Tampons are well known as absorbent articles, and specifically as feminine hygiene articles effective in the absorption of menses inside the vagina. Tampons are generally cylindrically-shaped, compressed batts of absorbent fibers that expand upon being wetted in use. For example, once inserted inside the vagina, tampons tend to expand as fluid is absorbed, thereby increasing in volume to fill more of the space within the vagina. As the tampon expands, more surface area is exposed that can contact the walls of the vagina, thereby intercepting more fluid and preventing fluid escape and leakage.
In many instances tampon tends to be constrained by the walls of the vagina such that maximum expansion, and therefore, maximum fluid interception, is hindered. A vagina can have a shape of a flattened pouch, for example, such that a rolled, compressed tampon that tends to expand by radial expansion can be hindered from full expansion against the closely-spaced side walls of the vagina.
Tampons can be designed to expand width-wise, that is, by expanding in one lateral dimension greater than in another. In one embodiment, a tampon can be formed from a generally flattened batt or pledget of fibers. The flattened pledget can be fan-folded in a generally zigzag cross sectional configuration and compressed into a tampon, such that the tampon expands by unfolding primarily in one direction.
One problem with fan-folded tampon pledgets is the cost and complexity involved in making such tampons. Rather than simply compress a batt of fibers by folding and compressing in a generally random manner, fan-folding requires that prior to compression in a compression mold the batt be first folded, or partially folded, such that upon compression the folds are captured in the compressed structure. Such pre-folding is difficult to achieve with current tampon manufacturing equipment. Further, such tampon folding is difficult to achieve in a controlled manner such that the folding, and therefore, the expansion response is uniform and/or predictable.
Accordingly, there is a continuing need for a method and device for pre-folding and managing a controlled fold in a tampon pledget prior to compression.
Further, there is a continuing need for a method and device for controlled folding of a tampon pledget in such a manner that the expansion response of the tampon in use is relatively uniform with respect to known methods of making tampons from generally flat tampon pledgets.
Further, there is a continuing need for a method and device for controlled folding of a tampon pledget in such a manner that the expansion response of the tampon in use is relatively predictable with respect to known methods of making tampons from generally flat tampon pledgets.